Scheme rules notified a year after schools start

PANAJI: The scheme for one-time special grants to the setting up of new Konkani and Marathi primary schools was notified last week. The notification comes nearly a year after over 70 new schools were granted permission by the directorate of education (DoE) to begin operations.

The schools will get a one-time special grant of 12 lakh and 1 lakh per annum for the next five years under the scheme.

"The scheme's objective is to encourage primary schools to impart education in the mother tongue," the new scheme reads. Eligible schools will have to apply to the DoE giving details of the construction or renovation of the primary school building and toilet, development of playground and the cost of land for the construction of the building or playground along with the purchase document.

Goa is set to get over 50 new Konkani and Marathi primary schools for the academic year 2013-14 in June. Of the 70 schools granted permission to begin operations in 2012, only 16 of them were able to become open during the year. The rest could not begin classes because of various reasons, including being unable to raise the necessary infrastructure in time. These schools will have to provide an explanation to the DoE and based on the reasoning they will be given permission during 2013-14 to open.

Twenty per cent of the Rs 12 lakh special grant will be released first on signing of an MoU with the state government and after producing a certificate that the school has started functioning. The rest of the amount will be released in phases on producing utilization certificates from chartered accountants.

The grant of 1 lakh per annum will be released at the end of the academic year based on the functioning of the school.